Light My Candle
by CE Winters
Summary: Kurt takes Blaine to visit his mother's grave on the anniversary of her death, and the Warbler steps up the occasion in a way that touches Kurt's heart.  Sweet, romantic Klaine one-shot.


_A/N: I just bought the RENT soundtrack (finally, right?) and I've been listening to Light My Candle on repeat for the past few days (sounding very awkward as I sing both parts of the duet, I might add). This little plot bunny hit me while listening to it tonight and I had to write it quickly :)_

_This one-shot is set in the _Something More Than Nothing_ world (a little more than half a year from when that will end), but if you haven't read that, it won't hamper the reading experience by any means! That story just explains the story Blaine's talking about near the end. SMTN is really long, so I won't ask you to read it, but it would be awesome if something you see here got you interested in checking it out :)_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>"I can't even have a hint as to where we're going?" Blaine asked the question as his hands snuck up to lift up the bottom edge of the Hermes scarf that Kurt had tied around his eyes as a makeshift blindfold.<p>

Kurt caught him just in time and lifted one hand off of the steering wheel of his car to slap Blaine's hand away. "No, don't touch," Kurt ordered him severely. "You'll ruin it. Blaine, I want this surprise to mean something."

Blaine was properly abashed by Kurt's words; he was shocked into silence at the sudden seriousness that had laced them. "Alright," he said quietly, dropping his hand back down to his lap. Though all he could see was darkness, he slowly inched his hand over to where Kurt's rested again on the steering wheel. "Hey, I didn't know…I'll behave, I promise."

When Kurt next spoke, Blaine could almost hear the wry smile that must have been on his face. "You didn't know…well, of course, you wouldn't. We're almost there; you'll see." Kurt turned his hand around under Blaine's so he could lace their fingers together.

"I don't think that's safe driving," Blaine joked.

"You flatter yourself that you'd distract me enough to cause any sort of harm," Kurt returned, matching Blaine's tone. "And anyways, we're here. Don't move."

Blaine heard Kurt turn the engine off and quickly scurry out of the car. He moved to unbuckle his seatbelt and moment later, the passenger door had opened and Kurt's hands were grabbing onto his and leading him out. "I'll lead you," Kurt said softly, grabbing one of Blaine's hands more securely.

Blaine followed Kurt without hesitation. He knew that Kurt would never lead him astray. Even through the scarf tied around his eyes, Blaine could tell when they transitioned from the bright sunny outdoors to a dim, indoor room, which was eerily silent. Kurt pulled him through the dim room for only a short while. Soon, Blaine felt Kurt reach up to slide the scarf away and free up his vision.

For a moment, all Blaine saw were Kurt's wide eyes blinking down at him. Then, he rapidly began to register his surroundings; they were in a tiny chapel. "I…I thought you didn't..." Blaine started.

"Oh, I don't," Kurt said easily. He took a confident step toward the nearby lines of candles and Blaine could see ritual in his movements, as if he had done this before. "But she did, so I don't mind."

"She," Blaine muttered, looking at Kurt curiously.

Kurt merely fixed him with a mysterious smile and reached down to grab the nearest unlit candle. Still smiling up at Blaine, he fixed him with a pleading glance, one that was almost playful. "_Would you light my candle?_" Kurt asked him in a sing-song voice; Blaine immediately recognized the line's origin.

Blaine shook his head at Kurt's expression – not the type he'd have thought appropriate for a chapel, no matter your religious conviction – but he nevertheless reached for the book of matches. He struck the match into being and lit the candle Kurt held. After it was lit, Kurt closed his eyes briefly and then put the lit candle back into place among the others.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered, still ignorant of what was happening. "What're you…?"

"Shh," Kurt crooned, his newly freed hand reaching out to take Blaine's once again. Suddenly self-conscious, Blaine quickly looked around them; only one other person was there, and they weren't paying the two boyfriends any attention. Kurt smiled wryly. "They know me here," he said, that same confident, casual tone to his voice. It only made Blaine more curious. "They know my…preferences. The people here…none of them would ever do any of the things you're worrying about to us…even if we _are_ in a church." Kurt laughed quietly and left through a different door than the one they had come in from.

It led out onto a large grassy field and as they left the small building, realization hit Blaine like a ton of bricks. They were going to visit…

"Come on!" Kurt exclaimed, walking quicker and tugging on Blaine's hand. "We're late! We should have been here fifteen minutes ago."

In shock, Blaine followed Kurt. They walked for a few minutes, until Kurt stopped at a well-cared for grave. Without hesitating, Kurt sat cross-legged right next to the headstone. He looked up at Blaine, still standing, and patted the ground beside him. Hesitantly, Blaine sat where Kurt indicated.

His eyes were fixed on the carving on the stone. The name displayed there was _Elizabeth Hummel_, which Blaine had already suspected, but what shocked him was the date of death. "March 15th," Blaine whispered. "That's –"

"Today," Kurt finished. "Also the Ides of March. Ironic, isn't it?" He smiled sadly at the name on the gravestone.

"Kurt, I don't know…" Blaine shook his head, lost for words.

"It's been…so long since she died," Kurt said, continuing on as if Blaine hadn't said anything. "I've spent more time apart from her than I did with her in my life…it's strange. But I still remember what she smells like…that stupid broken dresser still smells like her, after all these years. I still remember her smile." He smiled sadly and turned to look at Blaine. "The only thing I don't remember is her voice. But then again, it's been a long time – too long to remember a thing like that."

Blaine stared at Kurt, lost for words. He had taken him to his mother's grave on the anniversary of her death. Blaine could hardly believe it. It was the least he could do to do…_something_ - something other than sit there as if he were a complete goon, without saying anything at all.

Suddenly knowing what to do, Blaine scooted a bit closer to the headstone. "Mrs. Hummel," he began softly, free fingers tracing lightly along the base of the marble. "I'm Blaine Anderson. I met Kurt when he came to Dalton, more than a year ago now, although it feels like less because every day we spend together passes at the speed of light." He could feel Kurt's gaze boring into the back of his head, but now that he'd started, Blaine couldn't stop.

"I guess I have you to thank for him," Blaine said fondly, smile cropping up on his face. "I know that you must have been a beautiful, lovely woman, inside and out. I know that you must have been absolutely exemplary; what I would give to witness all those things for myself, though." His amber gaze flicked over to meet Kurt's pale blue one, which was looking more glassy than usual. "And what I'd give to have your blessing right now, to be with your son."

He felt Kurt's grip tighten on his hand. "She'd have given it," Kurt said confidently. "She'd have loved you, I know it. She loved to sing too, you know. She was the one who got me interested in it."

"We could have sung a duet," Blaine said, his amber eyes twinkling like gems, "at our wedding maybe. _After_ getting the aforementioned blessing, of course."

Kurt chuckled and leaned into Blaine's side, wrapping his arms around his torso and leaning his head on Blaine's chest. "After your and my duet, you mean?" Kurt asked, snuggling into Blaine's grasp. "_Light My Candle?" _He asked teasingly.

Blaine let out a shocked laugh. "I hardly think that's appropriate," Blaine pointed out, "unless _many_ things have changed. I know that I, for one, am perfectly happy with everything about you the way it is right now." He leaned around and pressed a chaste kiss to Kurt's forehead. Kurt leaned up to catch Blaine's lips with his own as the shorter boy pulled away, but Blaine was too fast. He made a _tsk_-ing noise and shook his head playfully.

"Well good," Kurt said, leaning his head on Blaine's chest once more. "That was a test. We both know that we'll sing _Come What May_ at our wedding….but I get to be Nicole Kidman."

"Of course," Blaine replied affirmatively. His gaze travelled back down to the grave of Kurt's mother and he was once again struck by the fact that Kurt would have thought to bring him here – that Kurt cared and trusted him enough to let him into such a personal part of his life. "Kurt?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." At Kurt's questioning glance, Blaine continued: "for bringing me to meet your mother. I can't tell you what it means to me."

Kurt smiled again and placed a soft kiss on Blaine's cheek. "Of course," he said. "I thought you were always supposed to bring your significant other to meet your parents when you love someone as much as I love you."

"All joking aside," Blaine said, hand rising to gently run through Kurt's soft hair. "You know what I mean."

"I do," Kurt affirmed, "and it's my pleasure, really."

They sat in silence for a few more moments, merely relishing in the quiet of each other's company. Blaine felt Kurt relax his grip and begin to move away. "We should probably go," he said. Blaine noticed his wistful tone. "I don't want to keep you here forever."

"No," Blaine said quickly, tightening his grip on Kurt to keep him from rising. "Let's stay. I want to stay."

Kurt looked wary. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Blaine said. "I _need _to stay, really; after all, I haven't gotten through even a fraction of what I want to say to her. I have to tell her all about –" He was cut off by Kurt's lips, pressing against his own softly and tenderly. Kurt lingered there and deepened their kiss for only a moment before pulling back. He hadn't retreated far – their foreheads still pressed together. "What was that for?"

"For being perfect," Kurt said, leaning forward to kiss his boyfriend again briefly. "Practically perfect in every way."

"Practically?" Blaine asked, feigning indignity. He chuckled and leaned his forehead against Kurt's for a moment more, closing his eyes briefly before he moved away – only slightly - and turned back to address Kurt's mom. "Mrs. Hummel, I have a _lot_ to tell you," Blaine began again. "There are a million and a half Kurt stories that are just perfect, and ripe for retelling." He smirked at Kurt, who gave him a suspicious glance. "How about I start with that one where we had to run from security guards backstage, when we went to see _Chicago_?"

Kurt chuckled and leaned into Blaine's strong grasp again. It had been a brilliant idea to take Blaine to see his mother; it was going even better than he'd expected. It was, in a simple word that did his exultant mood injustice, _perfect._

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><p><em>AN: There we go; I hope you enjoyed this little story! :) I'd love to hear what you thought of it! Thanks for reading!_


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